recent passing sparked an outpouring of
sympathy and a hometown parade in his
honor. With its friendliness, laid-back
attitude and “anything goes” attitude,
Austin is heavy on appeal.

AUSTIN’S ARTS SCENE:
MUSIC, FILM, TV AND CULTURE
The Austin area is the smaller of its
bigger siblings Dallas and Houston, but
there’s no doubt that it’s a vibrant center
of Texas life and culture. The arts are
thriving here, thanks in part to a
longstanding creative community, a
passion for arts, music and everything
creative, and the draw and influence of
the University of Texas.

Photo by H. Chase SealThat influence is most evident with one ofthe city’s cultural gems: the Jack S. BlantonMuseum of Art at The University of Texasat Austin. Located on the UT campus, theBlanton opened in May 2006 and is thelargest university art museum in thecountry. Housed in an 180,000-squarefoot, two-building complex, the Blantonhas the largest and most comprehensivecollection of art in Central Texas withmore than 17,000 works of art.

The Blanton’s permanent collection isrecognized for its European paintings, anencyclopedic collection of prints anddrawings, and modern and contemporaryAmerican and Latin American art. Worksinclude European Baroque and ItalianRenaissance paintings by such masters asSebastiano del Piombo, Rubens, GiulioCesare Amidano and others; anAmerican and Contemporary Artcollection with more than 4,000